Moving picture



June 12, 1928. 7 1,673,250

W. A. KOSKEN MOVING PICTURE Filed Dec. 13. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l [NV/5NTOR. W/l/20 A (cal e7 June 12, 1928. 1,673,250

w. A. KOSKEN MOVING PICTURE Filed Dec. 3. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2'4 1unnuuonnunnnn [HHIIHIDMIIHH] INVENTOR.

June 12 1928.

w. A. KOSKEN MOVING PICTURE 5 Sfieets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 13. 1922 Mann7. R 5 mm. N0 5 k V. mfldmr A 0 W. W Y 8 June 12, 1928. 1,673,250

W. A. KOS KEN MOVING PICTURE Filed Dec. 13 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5unnnnnnu MIDI nannunnn & f1 m A m5.

Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC "WILHO A. KOSKEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR T0 STEADYLITE MOTION PICTURE MACHINE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK,N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MOVING PICTURE.

Application filed December 13, 1922.

This invention relates to means and process for producing movingpictures and has for its primary object to produce moving picture filmsor moving pictures therefrom in an improved way which involves a muchhigher light eiiiciency than in present well known methods, and inconsequence thereof makes it possible to secure certain results whichare not attainable by present well known methods. One of the objects ofthe present invention is to provide improved moving picture apparatuswhich operates with a continuously moving film or web, thus making itunnecessary to momentarily arrest the movement of the film or web foreach successive picture. In consequence, I am able to eliminate theusual shutter mechanism by the use of which a large amount of light islost and which together with the necessity for accelerating and stoppingthe film for every exposure, imposes such mechanical handicaps onpresent well known moving picture apparatus as to place an undesirablylow speed limit on theoperation of such apparatus. According to thepresent invention, these limitations are removed, it being possible tooperate the film or web at much higher speed, thus practicallyeliminating the very undesirable fluctuation in the amount of lightthrown on the screen which is too trying to the eyes of the observer.This greatly increased speed may be employed to great advantage forrecording fast moving objects as well as for, the mechanical mixing ofcolors. On the other hand, in view of the substantially continuous beamof light which is maintained and the slight degree of loss in light, itbecomes practicable to operate a moving picture film at a much lowerspeed than is now required in the present wellknown machines, for goodresults. Better exposures and more sharply defined details are thereforemade possible for slow moving and stationary objects. It willfurthermore be obvious from the following specification that thisincreased light efficiency in the taking and reproduction of pictures,makes it possible to secure greater detail in pictures, a feature ofvast importance, in the reproduction of scientific films for examplevarious constructional advantages are de-.

rived from the hereinafter described method of reproducing movingpictures which need not be specifically referred to. The presentapplication is related to my application on Serial No. 606,634.

the same subject matter filed July 29th, 1916, Serial No. 112,028, andapplication Serial No. 281,761 filed March 10, 1919.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention,parts being broken away and parts shown in section,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Figure 1, parts being shown inplan.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same, with the housing and otherparts removed,

Figures 1 2 and 3 are optical diagrams corresponding to Figures 1, 2 and3 respectively and in which the mirrors or light transmitting elementswhile passing the common central vertical plane of lens and film, havetheir common line of centers in said plane at an angle alpha to the axisof said lens.

Figures 1 2 and 3 are. similar optical diagrams for another angle ofalpha.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in the embodiment shown inFigures 1 and 2, which illustrate the projection of pictures accordingto my invention, a lens 1 is suitably mounted with its axis in thecentral plane (preferably vertical) of a film or web 2, moving towardthe left and downwardly according to Figure 1. According to thisembodiment of my invention, a series of light-transmitting elements inthe form of reflectors R R R are suitably arranged and mounted to bepassed successively into position to reflect rays of light which passupwardly thru the film 2 when the machine is a projector and downwardlyto said film when said machine is a cai'nera. The path over which thesereflectors travel, includes a zone of approach to and a zone ofrecedence from a central position with respect to said central plane ofthe web 2 which includes the axis of lens 1. Another series of lighttransmitting elements in the form of reflectors R R R are suitablyarranged and mounted to travel over a path which also includes a zone ofapproach to and a zone of recedence from said plane. According to theembodiment of my invention shown in F igures 1, 2 and 3, the zones ofapproach and recedence of the path'of said elements R, R R arepreferably arranged in a horizon tal plane thru the axis of the lensalong a line W V while the similar zones for elements R, R R arearranged in a plane parallel to the film along a line JI. These G to Nin the plane referred ;to above and axis.

means hereinafter described, in such .a way.

that theycooperate in pairs to momentarily flash the light rays betweenlens and film at times corresponding to the passage of successiveportions of said film across an area whichis exposed to said light rays.On the drawings, the line AB represents the lens As shown in Figure 2the mirrors R andR, respectively moving along the paths of trave'lJ-land V, have, reached cooperating positions in which their centers lie inthe central plane ofthe web which contains the lens axis. The relationsof these parts are shown in side elevation in Figure I in which Hrepresents the center of mirror R, in thelens axis AB, and G'represents,thecenter of mirror R in the line J1 and also -momentari1ly inthecommon between lens and film by way of the centersof mirrors R and RThelines AB .and

C D determine a vertical plane which is normal to the film and includesthe center lineof said film. A plane which is parallel to the film andincludes the -line J1, makes an angle with the line CD equal to one halfof the angle between the line AD '(axis of the lens) and the portion G'Hof the ray AHG'F. The largerangle maybe termed alpha and may be made ofany desired extent within certain limits. According to Figures 11 2 and3 anglealpha is greater than 60 degrees. By an inspection of Figures 1 23, 1 ,2 and 3 it will be seen that thruout..their"zones of approach andrecedence, the mirrors of "each series are maintained parallel to eachother while the mirrors of .each cooperating pair of mirrors while.moving along diverging lines, are maintained at vconstant angles withach other.

'thru the .film which includes .the axis of the In viewfloit' .the factthat the mirrors lens. R R, R -maintain.a constantzangle with the lensaxis,..and have their centers traveling in the horizontal plane whichfincludesthe lens axis, their distances from the lens cor-:

respond to, the projections of their centers on .the lens axis. Themovement of each of the mirrors R 711," R is the equivalent'ot' or maybeconsidered as aresultant of two movements, one of these movements beingrepresented-by: a travel of lens center G irom the oher of thesemovements being'represented bya movement from said plane in a directionnormal thereto. Obviously, the second mentioned'movement does not effectany change 'in the "length. of'a lightray It will furthermore beunderstood 5 that the line of centers ofeachfpair'o'f perseries-o'fmirrors R R etc.

.that the light ray OHGF is equal in length to the light-ray-OLLNE orinother Words that the. light rays transmitted by all pairs of mirrorswhich are in light transmitting positions with respect to lens and film,are of equal length. Thus,

Draw' li ne 'GD thru. G parallel to lens axis AB and within the centralplane of the film which includes said axis. The path of mirrors R R1115is selected to lie in a plane whichis normal to the central plane of thefilm including the lens axis but-at an angle one-half alpha tosaid'lensaxis.

. he iciore angle AHG=a1pha, and

"Therefore i angle @GN. .angle :GNQ, :so that line-IGQ=line QN=HM, sinceHM and QG are parallel and cut by parallel lines AB and ()1). It will beseen. therefore that the rays @HGFtand .OMNE are equal and all rays aremaintained in. focus during the transitionslthru. the zones of approachand recedence.

Beterning inowato Figures 1, 2 and 3, these viewsshow suitable mechanismforcarrying out the principles of my invention. Thus the film ,2, whichmay bethe usual film .in common-use-atthe presentmlay, is driven byengagement withaxially spaced sprockets 3 which are :keyed to a shaft &,said shalt being provided with aicra-nk arm at one end. A bevel gear5;.isadapted to'transmit power to averticalv shaft-6 which carries atitslower end a bevel gear 7 in mesh with the bevel gear 5. "Shaft 6 carriesa driving sprocket8 which :moves the lowerseries ot' reflectors.Sli'dably mounted between oppositely arrangedand obliquely'disposedguides is anendless chain of mirror carriersr9 which areprovided withthe mirrors R R R and by'means of-which said mirrors are carriedthruthezones of approach and recedence-as pointed out in connection withthe optical diagrams shown in Figures 14,2, 3 1 ,32 and 3 At itsupperend, the shaft 6 is provided with a bevel pinion '10 which is inmesh with a second bevel gear 11 on a sha'ft12. A driving sprocket-13which is keyed -=to the shaft 12 comes into. driving relationwith-rollers 15'carried :by successive carriers 14-which are providedwith theSup aid carriers 14 have their opposite .ends slidably mountedin guiding grooves 16 which are formed in t-he inwardly presented wallsof the housing 17 within which the driving sprocket 13 is journalled.The advantages of my improved moving picture machine will now bereadily-understood and briefiy related are as follows: A continuousmovement of all operating parts, does away with various obj ectionsotthe intermittently movable films,

Thus it is not necessary to stop and start the film at each exposure noroperate a shutter. In consequence, Wear and tear on the apparatus islargely eliminated, less power is required to operate, a much higherlight efficiency is obtainable and the machine is capable of greatlyincreased speed and numbers of exposures in a unit of time, thus makingit possible to avoid flickering and the resultant eye strain.Furthermore, the usual well known film can be used in the machine toproduce a continuous series of exposures without interrupting blanks ofilluminated areas.

It will be understood that in the actual manufacture of the machine aswell as in the principles involved in the same, I may employ variousmechanical equivalents of the elements shown and described in thespecification. In view of the possible variations in the arrangement ofthe optical and mechanical parts which can be made to produce the sameresults, I desire to use the term embodied in the following claims intheir broadest sense to cover the principle of operation irrespective ofthe specific means employed for putting it into effect.

I claim:

1. In a moving picture machine, a film, a

series of light deflecting elements travelling in a straight line andhaving constant angular relation to the plane of said film and theircenters travelling in a path parallel to said plane, a lens, and anotherseries of light defleeting elements traversing the axis of said lens andmovable successively into and out of the path of a beam of light passingbetween said lens and film by way of cooperating pairs of elements ofboth of said series.

2. In a moving picture machine, a lens, a film centrally disposed withrespect to a plane which includes the axis of said lens, a series oflight deflecting elements moving in a path which intersects said lensaxis, and a second series of light deflecting elements moving in a pathwhich intersects said plane,

the elements of one of said series cooperating successively with theelements of the other said lens and film.

3. In a moving picture machine, a film, a lens, a series of lightdeflecting elements traversing the axis of said lens in a horizontalplane, a film centrally disposed with respect to a vertical planeincluding said lens axis, and a second series of light deflectingelements which pass through said vertical plane at an angle to saidhorizontal plane, said series cooperating to flash beams of lightbetween said lens and film.

4. The combination with a lens, of a series of reflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of reflectors travelling along an axis of movement whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a filmcentrally disposed with respect to said normal plane, cooperatingreflectors of said series being arranged as they approach and recedefrom said normal plane with a line joining their centers in a planeparallel to or coincident with said normal plane to momentarily focussaid lens on the film.

5. The combination with a lens, of a series of reflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of reflectors travelling along an axis of movement whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a filmcentrally disposed with respect to said normal plane, cooperatingreflectors of said series being arranged as they approach and recedefrom said normal plane with a line joining their centers in a planeparallel to or coincident with said normal plane to momentarily focussaid lens on the film, a ray of light passing through said lens havingan angle of incidence on a reflector in one series twice as large as itsangle of incidence on the cooperating reflector of the other series.

6. The combination with a lens, of a series of reflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of reflectors travelling along an axis of movement whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a film movablein a plane parallel to the axis of movement of said second series ofreflectors.

7 The combination with a lens, of a series of reflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of reflectors travelling along an axis of movement whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a filmcentrally disposed with respect to said normal plane, cooperatingreflectors of said series being arranged as they approach and recedefrom said normal plane with a line joining their centers in a planeparallel to or coincident with said normal plane to momentarily focussaid lens on the film, the central plane of said film containing theaxis of said lens and the paths of both series of reflectors (leviatingfrom each other.

8. In a moving picture machine, a lens, a film centrally disposed withrespect to a plane including the axis of said lens, and two series oflight-deflecting elements or which the successive elements of one seriescooperate with successive elements of the other series in transmittingflashes of light between said lens and film, each element of oooperatingipairs shaving itsv :CQIItBI ,i'movin'g' in a straight line which;intersects ,sa'id plane at ,a fixed :angle.

;a moving picture machine, a lens, means :torcontinuously moving a zmning picture film, series otxlight-vdeflecting elements movable into andout of positions. to establish -;paths .for light rays of constantlengthbetween said lens and, iagfilm driven. by said moving means,,;the;;light (defiectmg GIH IHQIItS-iOf one, series {moving in a path Whichintersects theaxis \ofcsaid densnndnt-he li ht defiectinge1ernentsofathe othe se ies movingin, .a path; which intersects planenormal to said filnnand meanstol'. maintainingsa co s tz ngularfrelationohetnfeen t e cooperatinglight deflect ng elen'ien s ofdifferent serieszduliing their cooperating periods.

10. Theimetahodyof producing motion pictures wvl1icl1:,.consists tin"projecting a beam of light throng-ha standard motio picture filmcausi'ng. said film do move at a constant speed, directing, thetransmitted beam ,upon one .or anore of ;a :series of deflectors, movingsaid de,fieot0r s =consecu-tively across thejpath light thr ugh a stanar mo i picture fi causi g saidfihn o movefa ac ns ant sp d, directing.thegtri zl smitted- ,beam upon one .or more of .a series ofdeflectors,moving said deflectors consecutively across the pathof said transmittedbeam in a plane parallel to the plane: of the fil lan an o liq e{direction. @to th moveme lof .thefi ili mp yin said deflectors todefiectsaid transmitted beam upon -one.or more deflectors of a secondseries, and-causing said deflectors of the second series to moveconsecutively across,

saidideflected beam in a path having angular relatlon to the amsof theob ectiVe and also angular relation to the plane of the speed,projecting -a,beam10f light through said -,film,in a continuous-mannerand bend: ing the transmitted beam twice ;before passing. vit 'throl lgha lens {thIOllgh the employm n ci w -series o defl t rs,- c u ing 'thesuccessively-;into cooperative relation to aot upon the transmitted beamfor the purpose attending the same with a angl of m denceo11the defletors and o r e g ea than orty-five degr s nd th angle i inoidenc c f .tei oope tat ng efle o the other series less than forty-five degrees.

.13- Jlhe method of qp oducing tino ionr .p ctures which consists incausing a standard m tion Pic ure film to. travel a a o ta speed, gpr jeihg a b am of .l e th ou h a d n a co nuou m nne a d ben ing th transmited a eam twi bef e pas ng th rug a ile sl hreeugh th mp oy men of twoseries f pl u f c defle o s, cau ingnrthe defl t s o each s rie t rats aross h ig t b am, w t t -de ectors of one series movingat a differentspeed han'ithe defle to of thcflothe seri s, HEW-"2116 de ec s cac s rnt an u ref-co perat e i'e a at on anoth and With the beam for thepurposerof bending the transmitted beam with an angle of inc dence hdefl ct 5 o series greater than forty-five degrees and the angle v of11101d1166 on the cooperat ng deflectors of the other series less thanfortyfive (degrees.

14. The method of producingmotion pictureshich consists in moving {Lgfilm along a lo h he i h med al l ne o .th i lm and h axis Of th zl nswi lil s in a m o plane and with'thegdirection of movement of the film,in oblique relation to the axis ,of ,the ns, passing a eam f c l g t hug the fi m-an h c t helsn hd d ng uc beam oflight betweenthe film andlens twice ytvo s ie -of de ect rs, ing s d sfi to to tr v sros th bm-in s ire t on that the beam willlhave n {angle of incidence with thedeflectors of oneseries ofigreaterthan forty fivedegree and that such,beam will ,have an angle of incidence with the deflectorsof the otherseries ,of less than yr t degrees- 15. The method of producing motionpictures which consists in ,moving .a film along a -pathlwherein themedial line of the film and ,the ayiszof the lens Avill lie in a commonplane and with the directio nof movement of the film in obliquerelationt to .the axis of the lens, passing a ,beam of light through,the filmnnd thence to the lens, and bending'such beamof lightbetweenthe film-and ,lens twice by tWo seriesof deflectorscausing saiddeflectors to travel-across ,thebeam in such directions that the beamWill have an angleiof incidence with :the deflectors of one series ofgreater-than forty-five degrees andthat such beam will have an angleofincidence With the defiectorsof ajthe other series of less thanforty-five degrees and synchronizing the movement of the deflectors andfilm so that they will continuously move in synchronism.

16/The combination with a lens of a series of deflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of deflectors travelling along an axis of movement Whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a filmcentrally disposed with respect to said normal plane, the deflectingsurfaces of all of said deflectors being so disposed that lightprojected through the film will be deflected from at least one of thedeflectors of one series on to at least one of the deflectors of theother series and thence through the lens.

17. The combination with a lens of a series of deflectors travellingalong an axis of movement which intersects the axis of said lens, asecond series of deflectors travelling along an axis of movement whichdeviates from the plane common to the first mentioned axes, butintersects a plane normal to the plane of said axes, and a filmcentrally disposed with respect to said normal plane, whereby a ray oflight passing through said lens will have an angle of incidence on adeflector in one series twice as large as its angle of incidence on thecooperating deflector of the other series.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

WILHO A. KOSKEN.

